


I Have Not Lived In Vain

by Danger_Floof_Floof



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, dmcl have a son, sad dimitri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:20:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22110958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danger_Floof_Floof/pseuds/Danger_Floof_Floof
Summary: Dimitri stood in front of the tombstone with a bouquet of various white flowers in his hands, he places them on the grave and presses a kiss on the cold stone.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 8
Kudos: 68





	I Have Not Lived In Vain

**Author's Note:**

> Ah today was not a good day so I kind of vented my sadness onto this a little aha sorry about that? 
> 
> For Dimiclaude Week Day 2: First and Lasts

The boy pulled his hood over his golden hair and moved his scarf to cover his mouth and nose to shield them from the chilly wind. He thanked his lucky stars that it was not snowing, he wasn’t sure if he would have been properly dressed for it. He ducked under tree branches and leaped over the large roots of the trees until he came to his destination; a tombstone of black marble with golden letters engraved on it that were obscured from the boy’s vision but it mattered little to the boy because he had already memorized the words on the tombstone.

Dimitri stood in front of the tombstone with a bouquet of various white flowers in his hands, he places them on the grave and presses a kiss on the cold stone. From where the boy stood, he could see the blonde king reach up and run his fingers over the black stone, his voice coming out as as painful whisper.

“Hello, my beloved.”

The boy frowns and decides it would be more polite to let the blonde king have his moment alone but he will not leave, for he also has some words to say to the grave.

“I am sorry it took me so long to visit you since…” the king trails off, his grip on the stone tightening and then it loosens just as quickly. His shoulders slump. “Since your passing. The weight of my grief is slowly bringing me down. I’m… not sure if I can find the strength to go on.” Dimitri smiles bitterly, his hands shake. “But of course, you would tell me that I am not one for dramatics and that I am strong. You would tell me that I have survived far worse than this and still found happiness.”

Dimitri toys with the polished stone, pleased to see that it was kept clean in his absence. He’s dismayed to see his shaking will not stop.

“However,” Dimitri breathes, his voice cracks and he tells himself the shiver he cannot help is from the cold wind. “You are wrong. You have never been so wrong because  _ this feeling  _ is one I have never felt in my life. It is like hellfire, searing my flesh and bones and the flame is  _ eternal _ . I fear I shall never be rid of this pain.”

And when the king falls to his knees, hands now gripping the side of the tomb with a force that has his hands shaking, he leans his head on the cold stone just over the name of the man he missed so dearly.

His next words come out as a sob that echoes in the small clearing.

“Claude,” he breathes. “Why did you leave so soon?”

An icy breeze rushes over the boy and the tears he now cries are held back by his small hand covering his mouth in an attempt to try and quiet the sounds. He nearly rushes out from his hiding spot, nearly runs to the king’s sad slumped form but he does not because the king is not finished.

The king’s eye is fixated on the name on the black stone, staring at nothing over a long stretch of silence. 

“I apologize,” the king suddenly says. “My first visit to your final resting place and I breakdown, but you would not have minded. You have never minded, I truly did not deserve you. You have never denied me comfort when I needed it most and even now that you are gone, you have left me a piece of yourself.”

Dimitri looks up and smiles despite the crushing sorrow he feels inside.

“Our son still asks about you. I am thankful that you got to see many of his firsts but you will be glad to know that he has finally eaten his vegetables. After I asked him what finally convinced him to eat them he told me you would have wanted him to grow up strong and healthy and…” he swallows past the urge to break down once more. “You would have been so proud of him. I’m sure he has much to say to you about his recent studies.”

At this, Dimitri turns around and stands up. The boy’s lips tremble and when the king opens his arms expectedly, the boy comes out from his hiding spot and leaps into his father’s arms .

“Papa!” the boy cries, hiding his tear streaked face in his father’s cloak. “I’m sorry for spying.”

Dimitri smiles and kisses the top of his son’s head. “It’s alright,” he says softly. “I’m sure your father has been waiting for you to come.”

The king turns them both and sits in front of the grave, placing his son in his lap. His son places his small hand on the cold stone, smiling sadly.

“Hello papa,” the boy says. “I told you papa would come!”

Dimitri’s grip on his son’s waist tightens ever so slightly and he leans his head against the boy and listens to him begin a story about him eating the nasty vegetables, his wide green eyes shining with pride so much like his father’s.

Dimitri smiles.

* * *

Dimitri is older now, his hair has grayed and his bones feel so much heavier. He is nearing his death, he can feel it, and his final wish was to pay one last visit to his beloved husband.

“Slow down, father,” his son, whose green eyes look too much like Claude’s and his blonde hair tied back like Dimitri’s had been back then, laughs but it is sad and tight. He too knows that his father is fading quickly. “We’ll be there soon.”

When they reach their destination, Dimitri leans down to kiss the black marble tombstone as he had done for the past years, he has the same white bouquet of flowers in his hands that he brought the first time he came here and places them in their spot. Together, father and son sit in silence until Dimitri speak up, his voice low but he is not sad.

“Hello, my beloved.”

Dimitri watches as his son reaches his hand out to place upon Claude’s name as he had done for years. “Hello father,” he says and the slight wind that blows is his way of knowing that his father is saying hello back. It comforts him but when he looks at his father, who is older and weaker and most likely has very little time left, he cannot help but let a few tears fall. “I told you he would come.” 

The familiar words brings tears to Dimitri’s eye but he does not shed them.

His son stands and kisses the top of his father’s grey head.

“I will not be very far.”

And when his son is gone from sight, Dimitri turns to his husband.

“It is time,” Dimitri whispers. “After so many years alone, I think it is time you finally had some company though I regret having to leave our son behind but... I was able to do my job as his father because of you; Our son has grown to be a fine man. I have not lived in vain.”

The wind that blows does not send a chill down Dimitri’s spine but instead, it warms him. He closes his eye and swears he hears a familiar voice. When he finally opens his eye to take one last look at his beloved’s grave, he is not afraid to face his death.

“We will meet again soon, Claude. Forgive me if I do not look as handsome as I once was.”

And then he hears it, a laugh that he had only heard in his dreams. It brings tears to his eyes and he smiles. He stands and runs his hands over the stone one last time then goes to find his son.

His son is crouched down, head buried in his face. He is crying, Dimitri knows, and he hates that he is the cause of those tears.

“Do not cry, dear one,” Dimiti says bending down to wipe away the tears in his son’s eyes. His son tries to blink the tears away but it is a futile effort. “Everything will be just fine.”

The old king takes his son’s hand and squeezes it, providing the comfort he knows his son needs. They stand and begin the walk home.

“Maybe we can bake those strawberry tarts you love so much?” Dimitri offers and his son laughs, the sound echoing in the forest.

* * *

Dimitri passes quietly in his sleep. Death is not what he thought it would be, he had expected to feel cold but instead he is warm— so very warm. 

He finds himself still in his bed but when he looks around, he finds his son laying his head on the side of his bed with his hand grasping Dimitri’s. He is fast asleep and Dimitri smiles and thinks maybe he isn’t dead yet…

Until he feels a squeeze from his other hand.

His blue eyes (eyes? He can see from both eyes?) take in the sight of Claude sitting on the other side of the bed, grasping his other hand. He wears a gentle smile and looks just as Dimitri remembers.

“Claude?” Dimitri whispers in disbelief. 

Claude nods, still wearing his gentle smile but there are tears streaming down his cheeks now.

“Finally,” Claude laughs and wipes at the tears. “It’s been so long.”

Dimitri dimly registers that he too is crying but he cannot find himself to care. He leans forward to bring Claude in his arms, nearly sobbing at the feeling of warmth radiating from Claude. 

Claude rubs his back comfortably, kissing his head and his shoulder. And when he helps Dimitri stand up from the bed, Dimitri turns to see his body still laying in bed.

“Oh,” Dimitri blinks. “I truly am dead then?”

Claude smiles sadly. “It’s not a fun sight, seeing your lifeless body.”

Dimitri hums and his eyes go to his son who is still sleeping.

“Will he be okay?” Dimitri asks despite already knowing the answer. As a father, he will never stop worrying for his child.

Claude nods and walks around the bed to kiss the top of his son’s head. Dimitri follows suit.

“I’ve been watching over you both for a long time and he’s told me over and over that when you reunite with me, he will be just fine.”

They place their hand over their son’s, a goodbye until they reunite again. 

Dimitri feels lighter than he did before, almost like he was floating and when Claude reaches over to place a loose strand of hair behind Dimitri’s ear, Dimitri sees blonde hair.

He looks down at his hands then reaches up to feel his eye that is no longer gone. He looks to Claude questionably and Claude laughs.

“When you’re dead you appear as how you did when you were happiest and it appears the heavens were graceful enough to grant you your eye back along with it. You look just like you did before… well before I died.”

Dimitri observes Claude, he looks just as he did before he died as well and Dimitri is reminded of how beautiful Claude really is. He takes his husband’s hand in his, pleased to see Claude is still wearing his wedding ring, and brings him close.

“To see you again is a dream come true.”

**Author's Note:**

> So a little info about this fic
> 
> -Claude and Dimitri's kingdoms are united through their marriage (thats pretty obvious doe isnt it?)  
> -I didn't name the son cuz I didn't know what name would suit him so aha yeah hes just son and dear one lolz  
> -Claude died protecting his son it was very very briefly hinted somewhere in the beginning  
> -This fic was written after a breakdown I had so forgive me if there are any mistakes 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I'll see ya'll 2m 🖤🖤🖤


End file.
